Fighting for Justice in Montana
My name is Kimberly Dudik, and I am running for Montana Attorney General. A little over a year ago, I launched my campaign. Since then, I have had the opportunity to travel all over and talk to people about the future of Montana, hear their ideas, and talk about how we make our state a better place for everyone who calls it home.
Next week, it is going to be 2020. If the last few years are any indication, it is going to be a busy year. So, before we head into the heat of the election year, I want to take a minute and introduce myself to everyone who I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting, and tell you why I am in this race.
I was born and raised just outside of Frenchtown, Montana. I attended Frenchtown High School, and then received my nursing degree at Montana State University. I practiced as a registered nurse, specialized in neonatal intensive care, and volunteered helping families escape violent situations as a domestic violence advocate.
Spending time with these vulnerable people, in some of their toughest moments, showed me that something was not working. Too often, the system wasn’t doing enough to protect victims and punish those accountable.
Wanting to do more, I went to the University of Montana School of Law, and earned my law degree. I also sought to better understand how public policy can improve the health of Montanans and protect our children from sexual abuse so I earned my master of public health degree by attending Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
I have spent my life trying to make Montana a better place and to protect those who are in need. I protected society’s most vulnerable as a deputy county attorney, an assistant attorney general, and a substitute judge, enforcing our laws and focusing on protecting children. When I was elected to the legislature 7 years ago, I continued that work for four legislative terms, championing legislation and initiatives that reform public safety, guard communities from sex offenders, safeguard vulnerable populations (especially children), and improve criminal justice. I was even the first sitting Montana legislator to give birth to a child during session, giving birth on a Thursday and returning to work on a Monday so that I could continue the important work I was doing reforming our criminal justice and child protection systems.
You will notice one common theme throughout my story — Montana. I was born and raised here, and I have made Montana my home for my entire life. I attended high school, college, and law school here, and I devoted my professional career to Montana, helping those in need and fighting for justice. I am raising my children here, and I hope they will choose this state as their home when they are grown. There is no better place.
People that know this state know we are not like the rest of the country. Montana was born out of numerous native tribes who have protected and lived off of this land for countless generations. We grew when people looking for a new life started traveling west, in search of a new home and opportunity. These were hard working people who settled in a beautiful, unforgiving land for a new chance, and a new opportunity. They built communities and a new future, together, among these mountains and streams we now call home.
We don’t believe in the partisan arguments taking place in DC, because we know those arguments are a distraction from the real work of solving problems and making people’s lives better. In Montana, we come together, work hard, and solve problems, because that is what we know. It is only then when our politics does what it needs to do — help Montanans make better lives for themselves and a better future for younger generations.
I understand these values, because I have lived them my entire life. I am teaching my children to live them, and I will be an Attorney General that will govern by them every day — and fight for them when needed.
There is a lot at stake in 2020, and we cannot risk turning over the Attorney General’s office to someone who doesn’t understand Montana and our way of life. Next year, you are going to have a big decision to make when you enter the ballot box. I hope to earn your vote, and your support.
As your Attorney General, I promise to fight to safeguard your rights, protect consumers, and reform our criminal justice system. I know we value our outdoor heritage in Montana and vow to use my position on the State Land Board to keep our public lands in public hands as well as vigorously enforce our constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment.
You can find out more about my campaign on my website, https://www.dudikformontana.com. You can also reach my campaign by emailing dudikformontana@gmail.com. I always love to hear your thoughts and vision for our future.
I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail, and I hope everyone has a happy holiday season.
Thank you,
Kimberly
___________________
Kimberly Dudik, (“Kim Dudik”)
Member, Montana House of Representatives
Rep. Kimberly Dudik is a champion of human trafficking and child protection reforms in Montana, having served for four terms in the state Legislature fighting for meaningful child welfare and criminal justice reforms. Kimberly Dudik is currently a Democratic candidate for Attorney General. She can be reached at kimberly.dudik@gmail.com and dudikformontana@gmail.com. Kimberly has served the people of Montana as a registered nurse specializing in neonatal intensive care, a substitute judge, a Deputy Gallatin County Attorney, and an Assistant Montana Attorney General. She is Chairperson for the Legislative Finance Committee, Chairperson for the Council of State Governments West, and Immediate Past Chairwoman of the National Foundation for Women Legislators.
Paid for by Friends of Kimberly Dudik, P.O. Box 674, Frenchtown, MT 59834, Kelly Gallinger (Billings), Treasurer — Democrat
